MOUNT SHASTA – A 26-year-old Mount Shasta man was arrested Thursday night after allegedly taking a vehicle with an 18-month-old child inside and threatening to crash it into a tree, killing himself and the infant.
On January 2, 2026, at approximately 10:30 p.m., the Mount Shasta Police Department responded to a reported verbal domestic incident between a boyfriend and girlfriend. During the incident, Joshua Thomas Santomauro allegedly took the victim’s vehicle without permission while their 18-month-old child was inside. The suspect made statements indicating he intended to crash the vehicle into a tree and kill himself with the child in the car.
A domestic violence restraining order was in effect at the time of the incident. While the child is shared between both parents, the circumstances met the legal definition of kidnapping due to the suspect’s stated intent to cause harm to the infant.
Be-On-the-Lookout alerts were immediately issued to allied agencies. With assistance from the California Highway Patrol, the process to activate an AMBER Alert was initiated. Investigative efforts included emergency phone pings and vehicle tracking. The California Highway Patrol’s Sacramento-based Emergency Notification and Tactical Alert Center obtained GPS data from the vehicle’s onboard system, which located the suspect at the Pilot Gas Station in Weed.
Officers from the Weed Police Department responded to the location, where the suspect was safely taken into custody. The suspect was uncooperative during contact and throughout the booking process, resulting in additional charges. The child was located unharmed, confirmed to be stable, and was safely reunited with the mother.
Santomauro was booked into custody on the following charges: vehicle theft, child abuse likely to produce great bodily injury, criminal threats, kidnapping, resisting or obstructing a peace officer, and violation of a domestic violence restraining order.
This incident highlights the importance of fast coordination between agencies and the effective use of investigative technology to protect vulnerable victims. The Mount Shasta Police Department thanks California Highway Patrol, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, and Weed Police Department for their assistance.
